ACC Tournament Central: Semifinal Takeaways & Championship Preview

(Inside Lacrosse Photo: John & Matt Risley)

ILWomen's Halley Quillinan is live at the ACC Tournament this weekend in Chestnut Hill, MA. Check out her takeaways and brief preview of tomorrow's championship match below and be sure to follow her on Twitter (@hrquillinan) for all of the live coverage and analysis of tomorrow's match between No. 1 Maryland and No. 2 Syracuse. ILWomen.com will also have a feed of all of the live action.

What Happened: Maryland downed Virginia, 15-9, on Griffin’s big day.

Takeaway: What makes this Maryland team so good is its ability to have a different player step up each day.

On Thursday morning against Virginia Tech, it was sophomores Taylor Cummings and Halle Majorana doing most of the work on the attack and through the midfield; but yesterday, Brooke Griffin exploded for seven goals and nine points — tying the ACC record for goals scored in a tournament game — as Virginia could not find an answer to the junior’s dominance on the attacking end. Throughout the 2014 season, that’s seemingly been the story for the Terps. Boasting All-American candidates at each position, Maryland’s depth has been the key component to its success this spring.

In addition to Griffin’s explosion on the attacking end yesterday, junior midfielder Kelly McPartland scored four goals and added an assist on the afternoon. Virginia senior Liza Blue led the ‘Hoos with five goals of her own.

What Happened: Syracuse outlasted a late rally by North Carolina, downing the reigning national champs, 9-7.

Takeaway: After Syracuse took an early lead, North Carolina’s defense found the answer to stopping the high-flying Orange attack.

Syracuse jumped out to an early lead yesterday afternoon, as they were up 4-0 before North Carolina found the back of the net midway through the first half. As the half expired, the Orange sat comfortably 6-2 over the Heels heading into the second. The second half, however, was a different story. A tight faceguard on Alyssa Murray took the senior attacker virtually out of the game and solid 1v1 defense and early doubles on Kayla Treanor kept the sophomore at bay. The Orange were held scoreless for 22 minutes before a three-goal flurry in the final ten minutes of the game gave Syracuse the edge it needed to advance to Sunday’s final.

In my preview, I noted that I thought the Syracuse attack would be too much for the Heels defense to handle; but, yesterday afternoon, I was proven wrong. A strong defensive game plan in the second half coupled with Megan Ward’s 11 saves nearly lifted UNC to an ACC title rematch with Maryland.

Double Takeaway: While UNC’s defense was highly impressive, so was Syracuse’s.

In complete contrast of yesterday’s first semifinal match, the Cuse vs. Carolina clash was a defensive battle. Both teams had ample offensive possessions, but well-executed defensive game plans stifled two of the nation’s top attacking units. While North Carolina opted for key match ups and faceguards, Syracuse stuck with its backer defense for the entire game and kept senior All-American Abbey Friend entirely out of the scoring column on the heels of her five-goal outburst against Boston College. North Carolina had just 19 shots on the afternoon and committed 15 turnovers.

While Megan Ward was sensational in net for the Heels (11 saves, 1 GB, 1 CT), Syracuse junior Kelsey Richardson picked up nine saves on the day, in addition to three ground balls and a key caused turnover, as well, for a strong showing in net. However, the brightest spots for the Orange defense came in the form of senior defender, Kasey Mock, and junior defender, Mallory Vehar. Mock picked up five ground balls and caused four turnovers on the afternoon, while Vehar played a crucial role as the backer in Syracuse’s zone and picked up five ground balls.

What To Watch: As Maryland attempts to win its last-ever ACC championship before leaving the conference next spring, the Orange have their eyes set on their first after moving from the BIG EAST conference a year ago. The last time these two teams squared off, both the Terps and the Orange were in early-season form. Syracuse struggled at the draw, picking up just nine to Maryland’s 15, while Maryland struggled in net with just three saves on the day. As both teams have continued to soar since then, Maryland and Syracuse have each fallen just once on the season (Maryland to UNC, 4/5) and have flourished in the toughest conference in the country.

Tomorrow afternoon’s clash of the titans pits the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked team in the nation against one another in what could be a preview of the Final Four’s marquee match over Memorial Day weekend. With what has the potential to be a high-flying offensive affair, both of these teams have demonstrated an ability to dictate games from the defensive end, as well. Whether it is the first or the latter, this will be an exciting match to catch in Alumni Stadium and should not disappoint.

Marquee Matchups:

Kayla Treanor vs. Megan Douty

The last time these two teams squared off, Megan Douty showed just how strong of a defensive force she is for the Terps as she noticeably frustrated the top attacker in the country in the Carrier Dome. Treanor mustered up 11 shots, but just three went in on the evening. Additionally, Douty picked up three ground balls and a caused turnover on the afternoon. Yesterday, we saw a great battle between North Carolina’s Sloane Serpe and Treanor and tomorrow’s top defensive matchup for the Terps should be just as challenging for Treanor.

Taylor Cummings vs. Kailah Kempney

A match where possessions were exceedingly crucial, Syracuse picked up nine draws on the afternoon to Maryland’s 15 the last time these two teams played. The Terps success was in large part due to the sophomore All-American’s ability to dominate the center circle, as she picked up four to herself and was flanked by Beth Glaros (4 DC) and Erin Collins (4 DC).

Kempney’s ability to gain possessions on the draw late in yesterday’s contest was key for the Orange in victory. Kempney picked up five on the day. Should she have the same success tomorrow afternoon, she will put the Orange in good contention against the top ranked team in the ACC.

Kelly McPartland vs. Katie Webster

Not a defensive matchup here, but McPartland and Webster play an eerily similar role for their teams this spring. When Murray and Trealor are held in check, it’s Webster that steps up for the Orange as teams struggle to contain all three at once. Webster led Syracuse yesterday in scoring with four goals.

The same can be said for Kelly McPartland’s success this spring. McPartland has big days when Cummings, Griffin & Co. are being keyed in on. While tomorrow’s match features some of the top defensive talent, this game will come down to the depth that both teams possess offensively and the production from those players — namely Webster for ‘Cuse and McPartland for the Terps.

Key Stats:

1: The Syracuse attack had just one assist the last time these two teams met. A team that fires on all cylinders when the ball is moving and being distributed all over the eight, a key for the Orange tomorrow will be its ability to improve on this and make the Terp back line work.

10: Richardson and Clipp combined for just ten saves on the day on March 10th. Yesterday, Clipp saved 10 against the ‘Hoos and Richardson had a big day for the Orange with nine and key pickups out of net, as well. Strong play in net will be crucial tomorrow afternoon, as both teams’ attacking units are coming into this match averaging over 30 shots per game.

90: Maryland’s Taylor Cummings (94 DC) and Syracuse’s Kailah Kempney (91 DC) have each picked up over 90 draw controls on the season. A game where possession will be extremely valuable for both the Terps and the Orange, their draw control leaders will play a big role in tomorrow’s ACC final.